Phishing email scams – don’t get reeled in!

Posted on June 9, 2011

The message copied below is what’s known as a “phishing scam.” It’s an attempt by hackers to obtain your personal information. The GCC IT Department will never send this type of message to you. Therefore, please do not respond to any of these messages. Things to look for to determine if the message is a fake:

Check the “From” line. In the case below, it’s from webteam.com (GCC’s address ends in .edu!!)

Even if the address looks like a GCC email address, the IT Department will never ask you for sensitive information, like a password, via email.

Check the spelling. Often times these scams having many words misspelled and the grammar is not normal. In the example below the first letter of each word is capitalized.

Your Mailbox Has Exceeded Its Storage Limit/Quota As Set By the Web
Administrator, And You Will Not Be Able To Receive Or Send New Mails Until
You Re-validate. To Re-validate Your Account Please Fill the Form Below;